1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to air handling distribution apparatus in automotive vehicles and, more particularly, to separate dual temperature zone air distribution apparatus in automotive vehicles.
2. Description of the Art
Modern automotive vehicles are provided with sophisticated air distribution systems which provide the conventional temperature control via selection between heating and ventilation or cooling modes or a combination thereof, and selection of various distribution paths including instrument panel distribution toward the front seat occupants, floor distribution or windshield defrost through various ducts and vents, along with the recent trend to multiple, independently selectable temperature zones, which typically allow the driver and a front seat passenger to independently select different air flow temperatures.
Although a variety of configurations of such vehicle air distribution systems exist, all such systems include a blower which draws in fresh air from the exterior of the vehicle and/or recirculates interior air and generates an airstream which is directed towards an evaporator core, if vehicle air condition is provided, to cool the air. The cooled air is then directed through a heater element located downstream of the evaporator core. One or more blend doors are mounted in the air distribution housing to select the amount of cooled air from the evaporator core which is directed through or which bypasses the heater core. The blend doors are moved by a user manipulatable lever or actuator mounted on the vehicle instrument panel which enables the user to select either full cooled air, full heated air or a blend of heated and cooled air.
The heated or cooled air or a blend thereof is then directed to a distribution or mode section zone of the air distribution apparatus wherein user manipulatable, instrument panel mounted, actuators control the opening and closing of doors or panels to direct air to a particular part of the vehicle passenger cabin including directly toward the front seat occupants, upward onto the vehicle windshield in a defrost mode, downward toward the vehicle floor, or a combination of toward the vehicle occupants and toward the vehicle floor.
Most vehicles, regardless of the vehicle configuration or the specific shape of the air distribution apparatus, include these same elements. In one type of vehicle air distribution apparatus, the blower, evaporator core, heater core and the blend and distribution doors are arranged in a so-called xe2x80x9cverticalxe2x80x9d sequence along the vehicle center line. A vertically extending partition within the housing of this type of air distribution system divides the cooled air flow into separate airstreams through the heater core whereby the separate airstreams of independently controlled cooled and heated air are directed through separate distribution ducts to the left andright front sides of the vehicle.
In another typical vehicle air distribution arrangement, the blower housing and evaporator core and heater core are disposed to one side of the vehicle center line, i.e., to the right in a left-hand drive vehicle, and disposed behind the vehicle glove box within the passenger foot well compartment. This arrangement is a so-called xe2x80x9clongitudinalxe2x80x9d or horizontal distribution system.
However, the longitudinal type air distribution systems have problems with respect to providing independent, dual temperature zones within the vehicle passenger cabin as the separate air streams which are typically flowing transverse to the longitudinal center line of the vehicle must be redirected into a 180xc2x0 opposite air streams for the front seat passenger zone. This creates complexity in the design of the air distribution duct system.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a dual zone vehicle air distribution apparatus utilizing xe2x80x9clongitudinal air distribution architecturexe2x80x9d which has a simplified design for distributing separate temperature airstreams to the driver and front seat passenger zones of the vehicle. It would also be desirable to provide such an air distribution apparatus which utilizes a minimal amount of components for effecting the desired independently selectable air temperature zones within the vehicle. It would also be desirable to provide such an air distribution apparatus capable of providing totally independent dual temperature zones within a vehicle which can be disposed in the same amount of interior vehicle space as a conventional air distribution apparatus which provides only a single temperature zone for the entire passenger cabin.
The present invention is a dual zone vehicle air distribution apparatus which affords significant advantages over previously devised vehicle air distribution apparatus utilizing so-called xe2x80x9clongitudinal air distribution architecturexe2x80x9d.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the air distribution apparatus includes a housing with a blower mounted in the housing in communication with a housing inlet, the blower having an outlet. A plenum is formed in the housing and has an inlet for receiving air discharged from the outlet of the blower. A partition is disposed in the housing in communication with the plenum and separates the air flow through plenum into first and second separate air flow streams, each flowing in a first flow direction. A heater element is disposed downstream of the plenum for heating air discharged to the plenum. The heater element is disposed in each of the first and second airstreams. Movable blend members or doors are mounted in the housing and movable between positions under independent actuator control to determine the volume of air of each of the first and second airstreams which bypasses the heater element, and the volume of air in the first and second airstreams which flows through the heater element to be discharged and recombined into the first and second airstreams. The partition cooperates with the housing for redirecting the first and second recombined airstreams from the first flow direction to a second flow direction angularly disposed from the first direction. Ducts are fluidically connected to the housing for selectively receiving the redirected first and second airstreams and for discharging the redirected first and second airstreams into selected separate regions of a vehicle.
In one aspect of the invention, a cooling element is mounted in the housing downstream of the blower for cooling air discharged from the outlet of the blower. The cooled air is discharged to the plenum.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the blend members include first and second valves or doors disposed in each of the first and second air passages. According to one aspect, the first and second valves in each of the first and second or lower and upper airstreams are linked together for simultaneous movement between opposed fully opened and fully closed positions.
The partition includes a deflector portion which redirects the first and second airstreams angularly to the second flow direction. Preferably, the second flow direction is disposed substantially 90xc2x0 from the first flow direction.
According to one aspect of the invention, the partition includes a first section carrying the first and second airstreams and a second section which redirects the first and second airstreams to the second flow direction. Preferably, the first and second sections of the partition are unitarily formed as one-piece member.
According to one aspect of the invention, the heater element is disposed through the partition and fluidically communicating with both of the first and second airstreams.
An interior wall formed in the housing divides each of the first and second airstreams into first and second sub-first airstreams and first and second sub-second airstreams. An aperture is formed in the interior wall in fluid flow communication with the heater element allowing the first and second sub-first airstreams and the first and second sub-second airstreams to separately recombine downstream to the heater element to reform the first and second airstreams in the selected combination of heated and non-heated air.
The air distribution apparatus of the present invention provides totally independent, dual temperature zones within a vehicle passenger cabin while, at the same time, the apparatus housing consumes a minimal amount of space within the vehicle. The air distribution apparatus of the present invention also provides dual independent temperature zones with a minimal number of components.